POPIA Compliance

Africa Insight News is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), South Africa’s primary data protection law. This page explains how we comply with POPIA and how you can exercise your rights under the law.

Scope and Applicability

Although Africa Insight News does not collect personal information through user registration or account creation, we may automatically collect limited personal data through website analytics, server logs, and cookies. This includes IP addresses, browser types, device information, and usage patterns. These data are processed solely for website functionality, security, and analytical purposes to improve user experience. POPIA applies to this limited processing activity.

Your Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: Request confirmation of whether we hold your personal information and obtain a copy of it.
• Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or out-of-date personal information.
• Right to deletion: Request the deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
• Right to object: Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing or other purposes.
• Right to data portability: Request your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

How We Comply

Africa Insight News complies with POPIA by:

• Minimizing data collection to only what is necessary for website operation and analytics.
• Using secure, encrypted analytics tools with anonymization features where possible.
• Retaining personal information only for as long as legally required or necessary for the stated purpose.
• Not sharing personal information with third parties unless required by law or with your explicit consent.
• Regularly reviewing our data handling practices to ensure ongoing compliance.

Data We Process

The personal information we may process includes:

• IP addresses
• Browser and device identifiers
• Pages visited and time spent on site
• Referral sources (e.g., search engines or other websites)
• Cookie identifiers (for analytics and functionality)

No names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other direct identifiers are collected unless voluntarily provided through contact forms.

Legal Basis for Processing

Our processing of personal information is based on:

• Legitimate interest: To ensure website security, functionality, and performance.
• Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations.
• Consent: Where cookies or tracking technologies require prior consent under POPIA, we provide clear notice and obtain opt-in consent where necessary.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights under POPIA, please contact us via email at [email protected]. In your message, please include:

• Your full name
• A clear description of the right you wish to exercise
• Any relevant details (e.g., IP address or date range if known)

We will verify your identity to protect your information from unauthorized access before responding to your request.

Response Timeframes

We will respond to your request within 20 business days, as required by POPIA. If we need additional time, we will notify you in writing with the reason for the delay and the new response date.

No Discrimination Policy

Africa Insight News does not and will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights under POPIA. You will not be denied access to our content, services, or features because you have made a request under this law.

Updates and Changes

We may update this POPIA Compliance page periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most recent version will always be posted here with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page regularly.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding our compliance with POPIA, please contact our data protection officer:

Keagan Wentzel
Address: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Rhodes Drive, Newlands, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa
Email: [email protected]

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa, the supervisory authority responsible for enforcing POPIA.